Kerri Strug

Noticeably limping on a bum ankle during the 1996 all-around gymnastics competition, Kerri Strug would not let down her teammates.

After suffering the injury on her first vault attempt, she knew that the hope of the first gold medal for the Americans rested on her shoulders—and weak ankle.

Landing on her feet in pain and hobbling to complete her pose for judges, Strug's second attempt gave the U.S. the necessary points it needed to claim the gold medal—bringing tears of joy to every American's eyes.

Brandi Chastain

Locked in a draw during the 1999 Women's World Cup on American soil versus China, the United States women's national soccer team found themselves in an all-or-nothing, penalty-kick shootout for the title.

With veteran midfielder Brandi Chastain set to try and close the match out, she stepped up to the ball and drilled it past the opposing goalie for the win.

Completely caught up in her exuberance, Chastain's famous bra celebration occurred, as she ripped her jersey off and dropped to her knees to go wild for Team USA's first Women's World Cup trophy.

Michael Phelps

While we all know that Olympic champion Michael Phelps would later go on to capture the most medals in Olympic history four years later, but what he accomplished in 2008 in Beijing may be even more memorable.

Aiming to collect a record eight gold medals at a single Games to break former U.S. swimmer Mark Spitz's record of seven, Phelps dominated his competition, breaking world records in every race he competed in on his way to matching Spitz.

A thrilling, come-from-behind victory over France in the 4x100-meter relay to keep Phelps' hopes alive proved that destiny was on his side, as he eventually got his eight gold in eight races.

Muhammad Ali Lights the Olympic Torch

Arguably the greatest athlete to ever play a sport, boxing legend Muhammad Ali had his shining moment when he was the final recipient of the Olympic torch in 1996, providing the flame for the Atlanta Games.

Winning a gold medal at the age of 18 in the 1960 Rome Olympics, Ali—who showed signs of his battle with Parkinson's disease during the ceremony—was also awarded another medal to replace the one that he had earned but no longer possessed. He tossed his original one into the Ohio River after being refused service at a restaurant shortly after winning it.

Tommie Smith and John Carlos

Fighting racism during the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, track and field gold and bronze medalists Tommie Smith and John Carlos made a stand that would be remembered for eternity.

Both donning black gloves on their hands, the two men made a statement by reaching toward the sky with a fist while standing at the podium, creating a memorable scene that was a proud moment for all Americans who were trying to end the division between races.

The 1992 Dream Team

What happens when you take the best basketball players on the planet and put them on one team?

As the world found out—and no pun intended—magic.

Led by superstars Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan, the 1992 USA Olympic team didn't just break the barrier for future squads using pro players over college kids but also completely dominated the competition, winning by an average of nearly 44 points per game.

Whitney Houston's Star-Spangled Banner

Sure, it later came out that Whitney Houston's incredibly passionate rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner" was actually lip-synched, but, at the time—and even still—it's still a classic American moment.

Performed before Super Bowl XXV between the New York Giants and Buffalo Bills, Houston captivated the crowd in a time when the country was rallying after recently announcing a war in the Persian Gulf Coast.

The fact that she was acting the entire time doesn't derail the significance it had at the time.

George W. Bush Throws a Strike

A night before Halloween and just six weeks following the devastating attacks on September 11, 2001, the country needed something to lift its spirits.

That symbol came in the form of then U.S. President George W. Bush, who took the mound before Game 3 of the World Series between the New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks to toss out the first pitch.

Walking up with confidence and zeal in the most famous stadium in the country, Bush hurled a strike right over the plate.

The "Miracle on Ice"

Seemingly overmatched against the powerful USSR team in the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, a bunch of rag-tag, unknown college and amateur players didn't know any better than to win.

Inspired by head coach Herb Brooks, the United States did enough to hang around and make the Soviets sweat a little bit, proving the red, white and blue wouldn't go quietly.

And when captain Mike Eruzione netted the go-ahead goal with 10 minutes to play, the USA were able to hang on and pull off one of the most memorable upsets in sports history. They ultimately won the gold medal the following game against Sweden.